Triathlete from Britain died of cardiorespiratory failure at Singapore International Triathlon

Stephen Begley, 42, seen here with his sister Claire, was pronounced dead at Singapore General Hospital on Sunday, Sept 10 2017. PHOTO: THE BEGLEY FAMILY

SINGAPORE - The 42-year-old triathlete from Britain who died at the Singapore International Triathlon on Sunday (Sept 10) suffered cardiorespiratory failure during the swim leg of the event.

Mr Stephen Begley was the designated swimmer of his team in the standard distance relay event, but had encountered difficulty in the 1.5km open water swim. His team-mates Paul Molloy was to take on a 36km cycle leg, while Rob White was slated to compete in a 10km run.

Mr Begley's employer here, St. James's Place Wealth Management Asia, released a statement on Tuesday confirming the identity of the company's associate partner, as well as the cause of death.

The statement read: "Immediate medical assistance and resuscitation was administered at the event before transportation to Singapore General Hospital for further treatment. Sadly, Steve could not be revived despite resuscitation efforts.

"We are deeply saddened by this loss and the thoughts of everyone at St James's Place are with Steve's family. Steve was a larger than life personality whose positive outlook was much admired by all of his colleagues.

"We are currently unable to comment further and we ask that the privacy of his family is respected during this difficult time."

Mr Begley had been an active sportsman with no known medical conditions. A former professional rugby player for the Glasgow Hawks in the 1990s, he stood at 1.96m and weighed about 110kg.

He was born in Chatham, Kent, and raised in the Isle of Sheppey, where his parents Jackie and Frank live. He was single and had two older siblings, Claire, 48, and Matt, 47.

Mr Begley's death is the second fatality at the event, after the death in 2009 of Singaporean Calvin Lee, 42. Mr Lee had similarly ran into trouble in the 1.5km relay swim leg then.

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